Arts, Briefly

A federal judge in Los Angeles ordered the city to pay $1.1 million in legal costs to the family of the slain rapper Notorious B.I.G., right, The Associated Press reported, as sanctions for intentionally withholding evidence during the family's civil lawsuit trial last year. United States District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper declared a mistrial in the civil case last summer after ruling that a police detective, Steven Katz, had hidden statements linking the killing to two former Los Angeles Police Department officers, David Mack and Rafael Perez. A retrial is to begin later this year. At the time, Judge Cooper had also ordered the city to pay the family's legal costs. Christopher Wallace, a k a Notorious B.I.G., was shot and killed in an unsolved murder on March 9, 1997, after a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Jonathan Diamond, a spokesman for City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, said the office was "disappointed with the order." He added, "We believe the officer's conduct was inadvertent, and we will prevail at trial on the merits of the case."

Gospel Award Winners

Donald Lawrence's album "I Speak Life" captured seven awards at the 21st annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards on Saturday at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, The Associated Press reported. Mr. Lawrence's honors included awards for artist of the year, producer of the year and the song of the year, presented by Aretha Franklin, for Mr. Lawrence's recording of "Healed," written by Jonathan Nelson. The newcomer J. Moss won awards for male vocalist of the year, new artist of the year and contemporary male vocalist of the year. Mr. Moss dedicated his victory "to God, who let me know that he is not to be put inside a box."

A Stolen Figurine Is Recovered

A suspect turned himself in to the police in Austria on Friday, leading to Saturday's recovery of a 16th-century work by Benvenuto Cellini, valued at $60 million, Austria's Press Agency reported. The gold piece, left, stolen from Vienna's Art History Museum in 2003, depicts a male figure representing the sea and a female one representing the earth. The work, a saltcellar created between 1540 and 1543, on commission from King Francis I of France, was found buried in a wooden case near Zwettl, a town about 55 miles north of Vienna.

Tough Landing for Bon Jovi

A Boeing 707 carrying 14 passengers -- members of the band Bon Jovi and their touring staff -- overshot the runway at Hamilton International Airport in Ontario early Saturday, the band's Web site reported. Trying to land in severe weather, the plane skidded to a safe landing in the mud after traveling from Buffalo, where the band performed on Friday. There were no injuries, and Saturday night's sold-out show at the Air Canada Center in Toronto went on as planned.

On the Auction Block

"George Washington at Princeton," an eight-foot-tall portrait painted during the American Revolution, fetched $21.3 million at Christie's on Friday, setting a record for the sale of an American portrait. The artist, Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), signed the work and dated it 1779, 10 years before Washington was elected president. According to Christie's Web site, it was expected to bring only $10 million to $15 million. The previous record for an auctioned American portrait was $8.1 million, set in November when Sotheby's sold a half-length portrait of Washington. A 1965 DB5 model Aston Martin, below, driven by James Bond in both "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball," sold for $2.1 million at auction in Phoenix, the BBC reported. Sean Connery drove the car, which included gadgets like built-in Browning machine guns, tire slashers and an oil slick ejector, in both films. Also on the block at RM Auctions on Friday was Al Capone's 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan, which sold for $621,500.